7 Mar 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

2.0°C > 5.0°C: Mostly cloudy at medium-low level. Clearer to E early and a few brighter spells later. Light, chilly feeling E breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:43 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:35 – 09:00

(54th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Yesterday the pair of Mute Swans at The Flash was seen mating. Today the pair here did the same.
- Rather fewer Tufted Ducks: probably some left yesterday if the sailing club were on the water.
- Just two Great Crested Grebes. Single birds were usually alongside reeds adjacent to traditional nest sites. I wonder whether their partners are already sitting on eggs? Last year there seemed to be so many birds around that nesting was much delayed and no second broods were possible.
- The only Grey Heron today flew high W at 08:40.
- The Cetti's Warbler was very vocal after 06:05 until at least 08:00.
- The Chiffchaff started to sing at 06:20 but was silent after 07:00.
- Two of the Rooks were seen apparently carrying food. These passed as single birds much later than any roost dispersal. Probably nesting birds.
- One group of at least 35 Siskins flew W together. Probably these were birds seen in the W end later and I have therefore not included then on the 'flying over' counts. Nor the several smaller groups seen in flight later.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair outbound
- 2 Feral Pigeons: together
- 17 Wood Pigeons
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 14 Herring Gulls
- 38 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants: together
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 23 Jackdaws
- 8 Rooks
- 1 Greenfinch

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese; pair throughout; another pair departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 25 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 39 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebe
- 9 Black-headed Gulls again
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again

The only record on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn was:
- 1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

Later:

Nothing

Just to prove it wasn't all grey skies. A thin sliver of clear skies to the far E allowed this brief sunrise.

This Long-tailed Tit has something in its bill. (Today a twig was actually behind the bird for a change.)

Not easy to see what it is.

Much clearer but does not help much. What is it?

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:05 – 10:10

(51st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- There are probably more Canada Geese than I counted. There was much noise coming from inside the island.
- Neither Teal nor Pochard located. The Teal could well be doing their not infrequent hiding trick: I suspect the Pochard have gone.
- Just one Great Crested Grebe noted, initially lurking under overhanging vegetation in a traditional nesting area. I could not find its partner.
- A party of eight Fieldfare flew over: my first of the year at this site taking my 2022 bird species count here to 52.

Birds noted flying over here:
- *1 Cormorant
- 2 Jackdaws
- 8 Fieldfare: see notes

On /around the water:
- 14 Canada Geese: see notes
- 3 + *2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 27 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Teal
- no Pochard either
- *74 (46♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens still
- 26 Coots again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *45 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures; one departed

On /around the street lamp poles:
- *1 red-eyed fly
- 1 small plumed midge
- *1 small spider

Of note:

Nothing

The two 2021 Mute Swan cygnets were staying well out of the way. I presume they are not thinking of practising nesting here – they are after all siblings.

"Why are they called Tufted Ducks, mummy?". The drakes are at 'maximum tuft' at this time of year.

There were many more Black-headed Gulls here than there were at the lake earlier. Most were first year birds in various states of moult in to first summer plumage. This one still looks like a first winter bird.

 At the opposite end of the spectrum an adult in full breeding plumage.

A 'grab shot' of the passing Cormorant shows it to be a full adult with white head plumes and white thigh patch.

The party of Siskins was along the W side this morning and seemed unconcerned about people walking past. A male tucks in.

Another fixes me with its eye whilst continuing to munch away.

A female get in on the act.

"I know an old lady why swallowed (a red-eyed) fly: perhaps she'll die".

"She swallowed the spider to catch the fly....". Not one of my best as it was a hyper-active spider running down a lamp pole. Hopefully Nigel can tell me what the species is.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2014

Priorslee Lake

1 Yellow-legged gull

(Gary Crowder)

Horsehay Pool

1 Iceland Gull

(Ian Grant)

2011

Priorslee Lake

4 Wigeon

2 Gadwall

5 Teal

8 Goosander

15 Pochard

40 Tufted Ducks

7 Great Crested Grebes

1 Cormorant

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

8 Great Crested Grebes

1 Cormorant

6 Gadwall

26 Pochard

5 Goosanders

62 Tufted Duck

1 Water Rail

76 Coots

62 Magpies

2 Yellowhammers

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

3 Cormorant

2 Grey Heron

16 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Woodcock

425 Wood Pigeon

2 Grey Wagtail

37 Robin

26 Blackbird

7 Song Thrush

6 Redwing

47 Magpie

146 Jackdaw

10 Greenfinch

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

2 Little Grebe

6 Great Crested Grebes

2 Herons

4 Pochard

52 Tufted Ducks

1 Ruddy Duck

106 Coots

1 Water Rail

1 Curlew 

23 Blackbirds

11 Greenfinches

2 Siskins

3 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)